Adelaide hosts international parks forum

South Australia will today showcase its green achievements including a tour of the proposed Glenthorne National Park, at an international parks forum being hosted in Adelaide.

The World Urban Parks Association is a new international organisation, with a vision of a world where people value and have easy access to quality urban parks, open space and recreation.

The second-ever National Parks Cities Forum kicked off in Adelaide last night and will continue today and Saturday.

Adelaide is hosting world-renowned experts as well as government representatives and the Conservation Council of South Australia.

Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the forum was a great opportunity for South Australia to showcase its green city vision.

“The Liberal Marshall Government has adopted a ‘Green Adelaide’ policy which aims to create Adelaide as the most ecologically vibrant city in the world,” said Minister Speirs.

“Green Adelaide will deliver natural resource management functions in metropolitan Adelaide, focusing on enhancing the city’s urban ecology and investing in the natural environment to improve overall community wellbeing.

“The National Parks Cities Forum gives South Australia a chance to learn and share ideas with some experts from all around the world.

“Adelaide already has extensive city park lands as well as beautiful metropolitan national parks and with key projects such as Glenthorne National Park and opening up reservoirs currently in the works we have a fantastic opportunity to be world-leading.”

The forum will hear presentations from the Chair of World Urban Parks and CEO of Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in the US Jayne Miller, and the founder of the national park city concept, guerrilla geographer Dan Raven-Ellison.

The Parks Conservancy has raised more than $105 million and completed 17 major park improvement projects.

The first National Park Cities Forum was held in July 2018 in London, establishing London as the world’s first national park city.

The second forum is being held at the National Wine Centre and will include a tour of Glenthorne National Park and the Adelaide Park Lands.